Polk Audio SR6500 Series

cam5860

I agree the time correction feature does make a difference in the way your eq is set. I think that maybe it is just because of the delay in the speakers. But heck Ive never really figured it out. Ive tried the feature several times but I just flat out don't like the way it sounds. It's kinda dull sounding to me.

neomagus00

zactly... i've spent literally hours trying to re-eq that crap away, and it just doesn't happen, so f- it...

1996blackmax

MacLeod wrote:

Crossovers and EQ's are not the same thing as using digital processing to artificially shift the soundstage to a proper placement at the expense of the passenger side stage when you couldve done the same thing with a little elbow grease and speaker placement. :rolleyes:

Kinda like bodybuilders using steroids, you didnt do any of the work, the bull **** you injected in your veins did. Same here, your processor is doing the work for you. Dont be lazy!

Mac if that works for you that's great, but do not come down on me for what works for me. I will do what I want with my system, if you don't agree then.............

I have done all of the work on my car so just cut it with the lazy B.S.

By the way, I thought that using an EQ was a form of signal processing.

1996blackmax

neomagus00 wrote:

zactly... i've spent literally hours trying to re-eq that crap away, and it just doesn't happen, so f- it...

I let the HU do the T.A. automatically, which by the way is the same as the meaurements that I've had for years with my other systems . In the good old days I did this the old fashion way which was to actually measure the distance between me and the rest of the speakers, and then compute that into milliseconds. It is so much easier now . Anyway, when I did the auto T.A. thing it does the auto EQ as well. I desinganged the Auto EQ because I did not like how it sounded. Pioneer lets you use both EQ's at the same time. The auto EQ along with the one that you can tune yourself. This is where things can get confusing. I finally figured this out and then disingaged the auto EQ setting. When it does the auto tuning thing it also puts the sub X-over frequency at 200Hz and then reversed the phase on my sub (it does this to get an accurate reading). I just put it back to 80Hz and reversed the phase, this did the trick . Kind of confusing, but the end result is worth it.

Messing with the T.A. feature can also give you a slightly better image for the front passengers if you are also using rear speakers. It wont be as good as the T.A. just setup for either you or the passenger, but it is an improvement. My wife could actually care less. I show her the diffences and she does not think it is a big deal at all. I just say ok better sound for me then .

PolkThug

Are there going to be subwoofer SR 12's AND 15's or just 12's? It is REALLY important that I know this. I'm trying to map out a game plan for the ThugStang and being caught between the Momo vs. SR isn't making it easy. The new Mustang trunks suck for sub box options, so I'm probably going to have a custom fiberglass job.

audiobliss

PT - I'd probably call Polk, explain your situation, and ask for definitive answers. I don't see why they wouldn't be willing and able to answer your question.

neomagus00

blackmax - the eq curve of which i speak is separate from the auto-eq curve, which i just use as a starting point for my own tuning... there's some hidden eq-ing going on inside the position selector that i really don't like, so i just don't use it...

PT - if you get any info on the SR subs, make sure to share!

brettw22

I went into a shop to match a system with the SR's and for 6x9's, the momo's don't mesh that well. The best matching speaker that Tweeter had was a set of Boston 6x9's (not sure of the exact model), but the salesperson said there was an SR 6x9.....true?

neomagus00

nope, not yet at least... and the sr's are far beyond the momos, so i'm not surprised they don't mesh...

brettw22

So the only alternative is to buy someone elses brand of speaker to mesh because no such 6x9 exists? That's no good.......

neomagus00

no, the SRs are too good for a 6x9 (i'm not being facetious, that's true... it's HIGHLY unlikely that an SR 6x9 will ever exist)... if you're going to buy the SRs, the assumption is that you will spend time, money, and effort on the install, and very very few SQ installs use oval or rear speakers...

brettw22

So buy 2 pairs of the SR's? Everyone I've mentioned that option to says that's a pointless thing to do since the rear is basically for filler space, and that's what the 6x9's are primarily for.....

bknauss

Screw filler space I say... unless you have annoying people in the back of your car and want to drown them out with sound.

brettw22

There WILL be 6 speakers in my car if that's what i'm taking out........

What's the best suggestion for rear speakers in a sedan?

audiobliss

brettw22 wrote:

There WILL be 6 speakers in my car

Why?

Jstas

I say get the 2 sets of SR's, the hell with what everyone else thinks! It's your money, car and ears, why shouldn't you get what you want? Get some mounting plates to mount the 6.5" speakers in the 6x9 inch holes and go to town! I'm not 100% sure what would work well for a sub so you might want to head down to a Tweeter or some place else that has them and bounce some subs off of them. I'd say the DB subs would work well but I think that you can find a sub that digs deeper than the DBs. You might pay more for them but so what. You are gonna be dropping $1200+ on the SR's most likely unless you can swing a deal.

If you are still on the fence, just remember what those SR's sounded like compared to the B&W 801's sitting next to the sound board!

Jstas

audiobliss wrote:

Why?

Why not?

audiobliss

I suppose there are reasons why someone would want them. Personally, I wouldn't because of imaging, soundstage, and expense. Since I can't think of any reasons for it, besides rear fill, I was asking why.

MacLeod

Brett - One solution could be to run SR midrange drivers only in the rear. Get the SR's and if the dealer wont sell you the mids seperately Im sure Polk would. Just stick em in the back without a crossover. Just use the natural roll off of the speakers and that would provide excellent rear fill and also give something for your passengers to listen to.

A lot of us dont care for rear speakers cause they tend to pull the stage to the back and can cause cancellation issues but generally I dont see a problem with them as long as youre not going to be competing.

brettw22

I don't understand the logic in having no sound in the back at all other than a sub because you DO hear sound from the back....

The SR driver only in back is ok, but why not have the full system in back? Any of the 6x9 drivers on the market have both a tweeter and a mid combined, so what would the difference be?

audiobliss

The real reason for not having any speakers in the back is because the sound will reach your ears at different angles at different times, thus 'smearing' the soundstage and imaging. This effect is more pronounced with higher frequencies, so if you just ran the mids it would be less pronounced.

MacLeod

Well, for one the tweeters would be very directional and you really wouldnt be getting much from them with them firing straight up into your back glass or even worse in your rear doors firing across the floor. In fact its safe to say that you wouldnt hear them at all so why pay for them?

Second, you want your stage to be out in front of you just like in home audio and using rear speakers will usually pull it more to the rear. Now if youre designing a 5.1 system in your car thats a different thing but for the best SQ a pair of speakers in the front only are the only way to go. The example that gets thrown around a lot is when was the last time you went to a concert and the band was behind you?

This is all personal preference tho, a lot of people like the "thicker" sound with rear speakers and there is nothing wrong with that at all.

*edit
One other thing, having the rear speakers playing the same thing the fronts are but having them at different distances can cause some cacellation issues and smear detail some. Try it at home and youll see. Play some music running thru your surrounds as well as your mains and youll notice it may be a little thicker sounding but overall SQ has diminished.

Jstas

See, that's the issue. How many records are actually done at a concert?

They are done in a studio and in quite a few recordings, teh soundstage is accurate but confusing because of the way the studio, the mics and the musicians in the studio are placed. In a recording studio, it is quite possible to have instruments all around the recording point. Your lead singer and your lead instrument usually get thier own recording point so they will usually be front and center because they are distributed across both channels of a stereo rig.

The idea of high fidelity is not reproduce a live performance from a recording but rather to faithfully reproduce the instruments and vocals. The basic idea is that you want a violin to sound so freaking real you feel like you could pick the nose of the violinist sitting right infront of you. You want that signer to sound so real and have such a prescence infront of you that you feel like you could kick him in his "Flanders-doodles"! You aren't going to duplicate a live performance that doesn't exist. There is so much more than music and vocals that is present in a live recording that you just can't duplicate reliably and accuratly.

Also, the last time I was at a concert, I was at the Kimmel Center in Philadelphia and I'll be damned if the sound doesn't sound like it is all around you! That building has the most incredible acoustics I have ever seen!

MacLeod

Like I said, its a matter of personal preference.

Me, I like my stage out in front of me at eye level and I want all the detail I can get so for me its a pair of speakers only. But there is certainly nothing wrong with rears if thats whatcha want.

brettw22

But also yo guys are dealing with a system that is trying to go into the cab of a truck, which would have a completely different sound than that of a 4 door....

My rear speaks are on the deck, and without speakers in back, it sounds less full. I' not getting a sub in this car, because this car is only gonna be around for 2 years max, and then will be transferred into the new one......

MacLeod

Youre crib (a little hip-hop lingo there) is a lot bigger than a car so when you listen to 2 channel music do you think it sounds less full? Besides, like I said, having the same music coming at you from 2 different distances doesnt sound as good (to me) as having it all coming from only 2 channels.

Im not trying to talk you out of using rears, if thats what you want go for it.

brettw22

I guess my only point is that not EVERYone, and I'd say that MOST people aren't looking to go for Show Car installations, and that means that there SHOULD be a better option for filling the rear stage than to say either use someone elses 6x9's or use the Momo's that don't sound like they belong at all.

MacLeod

Well, 90% of the people that would be willing to pay $800 for a set of car speakers are deadly serious about their audio and do want the most realistic stage and imaging they can get which usually means no rear speakers so R&D'ing and coming out with a set of 6x9 coaxials in the SR line wouldnt be worth it because purists would use them.

Could you imagine a SDA HTiaB. :eek:

Still, using a SR mid only in the rear is not a bad thing. Their natural roll off will be enough youll get some high frequencies out of them and the stuff they dont reproduce you wouldnt be able to hear from the front seat anyway.

exalted512

quick question, how are CDs recorded now? stereo? quadraphonic? 5.1? 7.1?
-Cody

audiobliss

MacLeod wrote:

SDA HTiaB

LOL!! Good one!


I'd say, if you're stuck on having rear fill, grab ya some SR mids.